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Jim Carroll

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Oxegen feels the love as promoters finally “get it”

The people have spoken – and they feel that Oxegen 2008 has been the festival’s most successful outing to date. Following widespread criticisms and complaints after the 2006 and 2007 festivals, promoters MCD are feeling some punter love after pulling …

Jim Carroll

jimcarroll

Fri, Jul 18, 2008, 07:14

The people have spoken – and they feel that Oxegen 2008 has been the festival’s most successful outing to date.
Following widespread criticisms and complaints after the 2006 and 2007 festivals, promoters MCD are feeling some punter love after pulling their socks up for this year’s event.

On The Record blog readers had many positive things to say about the organisation, traffic management and line-up at this year’s festival.

Sean D spoke for many when he said “I was genuinely taken aback by how well it was organised. It’s taken them a few years, but they’ve nailed it now. Plenty of toilets, food stalls, clean water etc. Campsites were better organised this year ­ more space between them to walk around and less like shanty towns.”

It was a view echoed by Rosemary, who called it “a vast improvement on any other year I’ve been to. Organisation, traffic, all a dream. Portaloos clean in the mornings, stewards who were all polite and friendly.”

Davemor also gave it the thumbs up. “I was blissfully impressed with this year’s festival after giving it a miss the last two years because of the festival’s notorious aspects. The campsites were well planned with a few more food stalls than usual to pick from.”

He also felt “the acts were on the ball”, citing Seasick Steve, Richard Hawley, The Prodigy (“insane, with Maxim calling on all the ‘Irish Warriors’ to rise up) and Rage Against the Machine (“a hoot).

Fellow reader Vincent had praise for Holy Fuck, Yeasayer, The Ting Tings, REM (“I was one of those people singing the mandolin solo!”) The Prodigy, White Lies and MGMT.

Of course, there were also quibbles, mostly to do with some of the clientele. This, though, is not something you can blame on the organisers.

As Mixtape PR put it: “There are some bloody knobs out there, but it can’t be helped if Leaving Cert students and frantic techno-loving farmers decide to descend.”